Never Look Back
by Hanz the Bunny
Summary: When Kate is wandering through the jungle another polar bear decides that she would make the perfect next victim, but as she's running for her life, arms lock around her waist and pull her to saftey...and decide not to let go.
1. Chapter 1

**_Dsc: _i don't own anyone on Lost. sniff not even sawyer. humph**

**_Never Look Back_ **

Kate wandered aimlessly through the jungle which unfortunately – but yet inevitably – had become her backyard. Sunlight searched for openings between the tall trees and the leaves, seeping through and shedding light onto her uncharted path.

She let out a quiet grunt as her foot caught on a thick root sticking out of the ground and she tripped, falling to her hands and knees. The hard landing scraped her palms and embedded small pebbles into her skin. Leaning her butt on the back of her heels Kate wiped off her hands when she heard an all too familiar growl. She froze.

"Not another one," she groaned, but quickly stood up and began running just as the blunt sound of heavy paws stomping the ground became nearer. Kate threw a glance over her shoulder and saw the polar bear quickly catching up with her. She forced her legs to move faster and look ahead – now wouldn't be the best time for her to trip. Again.

The pounding became louder, by now she could hear the determined animal snarling as it examined its potential meal from only a short distance. The fleeting thought that an overstuffed rodent was going to eat her alive caught her off guard but at the same time strong arms grasped her waist, picked her up and carried slash threw her into a cage-like ring created by tall, thin tree trunks.

Kate was mercilessly pinned between a man she couldn't see and the far 'wall', with two muscular and tanned arms over her shoulders and head, separating her from what would have been the last thing to ever see her again.

The distinctive sound of the polar bears snarling and occasional growl came closer and the arms shielding her tightened, the muscles flexed. Then, the noise passes and eventually was non-existent as far as she knew. As the arms loosed but stayed in the same position, Kate tilted her head upward to see who had come to rescue the damsel in distress.

"Sawyer." Kate said, almost grudgingly.

"Well, howdy, Freckles," he looked down at her with a well-known, smug grin on his lips. "Nice running into you here on this fine day."

"What were you doing out here?"

"Enjoying the weather…and the scenery," he added slyly.

Kate rolled her eyes, "You following me? Again?"

Sawyer's drawl was casual, "A man's gotta keep himself busy around here, Freckles."

She let out a breath and looked at him with dull eyes that already told what she was going to say. "Let me go, Sawyer."

He frowned and peered at her curiously. "Now why would I want to do that?"

"Sawyer, let me-"

He moved an arm and put a finger against her lips, silencing her. "Shh. Don't ruin the mood."

"Wha-"

"I _said_, don't. Ruin. The mood." Sawyer ran a finger across her cheek, lightly pushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. He followed his movements with his eyes, then looked back into hers.

And as she stared into the deep seas of blue, Kate thought she saw something other than the empty sarcasm and the snide remarks. For just that moment, she saw who Sawyer really was, not who he was made out to be. And even though it scared her to death, she set aside her fears for once and acted according to the tightening in her chest and the depth in his eyes.

Kate slid her hand up his chest and over his jaw line, she ran her hand through his hair and slipped it behind his neck as she pulled his lips down to hers. Sawyer kept his hand on her burning cheek, gently skimming his fingertips over her soft skin. When their kiss broke, Kate tried to keep eye contact with Sawyer but found that she was already looking at an invisible spot on his blue t-shirt. He lifted her chin with a finger and forced her to meet his eyes.

"Kate…"

In a quiet and quick voice she said, "I have to go." Kate stepped around Sawyer and without looking back she walked towards the beach, leaving him there with one arm still braced on the tree trunks.

**_A/N: _please review! i have more if ya want it, but you have to let me know. heehee:0**


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: _i think this is the last ch, i'm just not sure where to go from here, but if i think of something i'll add more. once again, pretty please review:)**

**Chapter 2**

Night had taken over now as Kate sat cross-legged Indian style in front of a small fire, staring hypnotized at the curling and waving flames. She absently picked at a leaf, tossing small pieces into the fire. She played the scene with Sawyer over and over in her head, each time mentally kicking herself for running away like a coward. But then Kate would see his eyes again, as if he was sitting right in front of her at this very moment, and her stomach would twist in tight knots and her heart would skip a beat then start pounding in her chest faster with each passing second.

But Sawyer was a man that warranted a lot of questions. Time and time again Jack would remind her that Sawyer couldn't be trusted, with a past like his… But then, Kate's life hadn't been spotless either. She chuckled to herself. Not even close.

She heard someone sit down next to her but didn't bother looking to see who it was.

"So is this how it's always gonna be, Freckles?"

She turned her head to look at Sawyer. "What?"

"I convince you to kiss me and then you pretend it never happened."

Kate let out a deep breath and returned to staring at the fire, this time throwing the rest of the leaf in. "What happened… was a mistake."

"And how do you figure, when something that's apparently so wrong feels so right? Hmm?" Sawyer peered at her with a half smile.

"Sawyer…"

"Now, there's a problem when you can't defend what you're doin'. So that makes me think that you _want_ it to happen but you're just scared of what you'll feel when it does. Will your toes curl and heart start speedin' like there's no tomorrow?"

Kate refused to look at him but could feel his eyes burning holes into her. Sawyer reached over and settled his hand on her cheek, turning her face towards his. She finally allowed to herself to look into his eyes. "I… I can't Sawyer. I just can't do this." She stood up and ran into the jungle with no intention on returning anytime soon. But before long Kate felt a strong hand grip her arm, yanking her to an abrupt stop. She was flung around and met head-on with Sawyer.

"Now that is the second time you've run away from me in _one_ day and I don't really appreciate that kind of hostility."

"Let me go, Sawyer."

"Now Freckles, I think it's 'bout time me and you had ourselves a little chat."

"Sawyer."

He was becoming very fed up in a very short time and it showed. "How's about we talk about the elephant in the room, alrighty? I like you – no surprise there. And I _know_ that you like me-" she tried to pull herself free but Sawyer simply jerked her even closer and leaned his head forward, a mere inch or two away from her face. "Stop. Squirming. What I _don't_ understand is why you pretend to hate me so much, and then you kiss me – out of your own free will – and then you act like I've done this horrible thing. Why is that?"

Kate forced herself to relax a little and sighed but still couldn't give an answer…well, not a true one anyways. "Sawyer…"

He looked at her with eyes that had now become dull. "Yeah," Sawyer said and finally loosened his grip, dropping his hand to his side as he back away from her. "That's how it's always gonna be, isn't it?"

Kate looked at the ground and willed herself not to cry but could already feel hot tears flowing from her tear ducts. She whispered, "Yes."

He bit the side of his cheek and sucked in a breath through his nose. "That's what I thought. Never look back, right? Isn't that your philosophy?" Sawyers voice was rising with every word that left his mouth and he started pacing, while Kate took a great interest in the dirt at her feet.

"Please don't-"

"Why not?" he shouted, moving to stand right in front of her again. Sawyers voice quieted but still held all the anger and frustration that he felt, "Tell me, Kate. What's to stop _me_ from going back to camp and never looking back, huh? What's left to make me stay here with you if you won't even look at me?" He waited for a long moment before saying in an unusually soft tone, "Look at me, Kate."

Kate slowly lifted her head and Sawyer instantly saw the tears running down her cheeks in streams that would not stop for the life of her. His expression softened as he held her face in his hands and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. "You don't know how much I wanted to," Kate tried to keep her voice free of fragility but obviously failed. "How much I wished that things could be different… How often I've prayed that you would understand."

"I may not be the sweetest guy on this spit of land, but I _am_ the only man on this island who can give you what you want."

"And what's that?"

"This" and he kissed her with all the strength he possessed, still cradling her head in his hands. He could feel tears pool over his fingers and simply pressed his lips harder against hers. Kate slipped her shaking hands around his back, unintentionally digging her nails into his skin as she clung to him for life. Sawyer forced himself to pull back – for Kate's sake. The truth was that he was pretty confident that he could do this for hours. When that thought struck him he chuckled and Kate looked at him questioningly.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, nothin. Just uh, remind me to thank that polar bear." He grinned at her with humorous eyes.

"You want to thank the _polar bear_? Are you serious? Don't I get any appreciation?"

"Mmm," he moaned, nodding slowly. "So _that's_ what you want."

"I thought you said you know what I want." Kate raised an eyebrow at him.

"I lied. But let's net focus on that, 'kay Freckles?" She opened her mouth to respond but before she could sound out a single syllable she found herself being kissed by Sawyer again. She laughed into his mouth and curled her arms around his neck, softly swinging her body from side to side as he twirled strands of her hair around his fingers. Eventually, when the kiss parted and they made their way back to the camp, lightly bumping each other Sawyer smirked. "Jack will be _sooo _pissed."

Kate punched him hard in the arm and laughed mercilessly at him as he rubbed the tender spot.

"OWW! What the heck was that for?" He frowned at her.

"Don't ruin the mood, Sawyer." She glanced at him and kept on walking and soon heard his footsteps coming up from behind her.

Sawyer's arms enclosed around her waist and he rested his chin on the back of her shoulder. "How's about you let me make up for it then?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head to herself, not bothering to stop even though it was evident that he was having a hard time hanging on to her and not tripping while they were walking. "Get lost."

"I am, with the most beautiful woman on Earth." Sawyer drawled.

"Oh wow. Aren't you charming?"

"Haven't you heard? Charming's my middle name." He whispered seductively in her ear, sending shivers down her spine all the way to her toes – which curled.

"You haven't even told me your real _first _name."

"Ooo," Sawyer winced, "that hurt's."

Kate laughed out loud and jokingly said, "Would you like me to kiss it all better?"

He raised and dropped his eyebrows. "If you insist," Sawyer smiled evilly.

"Shut up," she said and he released her from his grasp as they broke through the trees. They returned to her fire and sat down with Kate leaning back against Sawyers midsection, the heave of his chest as he breathed quickly relaxed her. And with the fire crackling, they were lulled to sleep in a few short and heavenly minutes.


End file.
